More Fred Meyer store closures raise skepticism and worries

This hasn’t been a good week for shoppers or workers at Seattle-area Fred Meyer stores.

Parent company Kroger confirmed Tuesday it will close yet another pair of Fred Meyer stores — at 13000 Lake City Way N.E. in Seattle and at 17667 N.E. 76th St. in Redmond — in mid-October.

The news comes just a day after Kroger said it was closing two other Fred Meyer stores, in Everett and Kent. All told, since July, Kroger has announced six Seattle-area closures — five Fred Meyer stores and one QFC, which Kroger also owns.

The four closures announced this week will affect around 700 Seattle-area workers, according to their union, and have fueled concerns about declining access to full-service grocery stores.

“That’s really sad,” said Aemro Ambaw, 48, as he stood outside his soon-to-close Lake City